Transcranial direct current stimulation as early augmentation in adolescent obsessive compulsive disorder:A pilot proof-of-concept randomized control trial

BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)is proven to be safe in treating various neurological conditions in children and adolescents.It is also an effective method in the treatment of OCD in adults.AIM To assess the safety and efficacy of tDCS as an add-on therapy in drug-naive adolescents with OCD.METHODS We studied drug-naïve adolescents with OCD,using a Children’s Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale(CY-BOCS)scale to assess their condition.Both active and sham groups were given fluoxetine,and we applied cathode and anode over the supplementary motor area and deltoid for 20 min in 10 sessions.Reassessment occurred at 2,6,and 12 wk using CY-BOCS.RESULTS Eighteen adolescents completed the study(10-active,8-sham group).CY-BOCS scores from baseline to 12 wk reduced significantly in both groups but change at baseline to 2 wk was significant in the active group only.The mean change at 2 wk was more in the active group(11.8±7.77 vs 5.25±2.22,P=0.056).Adverse effects between the groups were comparable.CONCLUSION tDCS is safe and well tolerated for the treatment of OCD in adolescents.However,there is a need for further studies with a larger sample population to confirm the effectiveness of tDCS as early augmentation in OCD in this population.

A Reliable and Accurate Calculation of Excitation Capacitance Value for an Induction Generator Based on Interval Computation Technique

A squirrel cage induction generator （SCIG） offers many advantages for wind energy conversion systems but suffers from poor voltage regulation under varying operating conditions. The value of excitation capacitance （C exct ） is very crucial for the selfexcitation and voltage build-up as well as voltage regulation in SCIG. Precise calculation of the value of C exct is, therefore, of considerable practical importance. Most of the existing calculation methods make use of the steady-state model of the SCIG in conjunction with some numerical iterative method to determine the minimum value of C exct . But this results in over estimation, leading to poor transient dynamics. This paper presents a novel method, which can precisely calculate the value of C exct by taking into account the behavior of the magnetizing inductance during saturation. Interval analysis has been used to solve the equations. In the proposed method, a range of magnetizing inductance values in the saturation region are included in the calculation of C exct , required for the self-excitation of a 3-φ induction generator. Mathematical analysis to derive the basic equation and application of interval method is presented. The method also yields the magnetizing inductance value in the saturation region which corresponds to an optimum C exct（min） value. The proposed method is experimentally tested for a 1.1 kW induction generator and has shown improved results.

A New Energy Optimal Control Scheme for a Separately Excited DC Motor Based Incremental Motion Drive

This paper considers minimization of resistive and frictional power dissipation in a separately excited DC motor based incremental motion drive （IMD）. The drive is required to displace a given, fixed load through a definite angle in specified time, with minimum energy dissipation in the motor windings and minimum frictional losses. Accordingly, an energy optimal （EO） control strategy is proposed in which the motor is first accelerated to track a specific speed profile for a pre-determined optimal time period. Thereafter, both armature and field power supplies are disconnected, and the motor decelerates and comes to a halt at the desired displacement point in the desired total displacement time. The optimal time period for the initial acceleration phase is computed so that the motor stores just enough energy to decelerate to the final position at the specified displacement time. The parameters, such as the moment of inertia and coefficient of friction, which depend on the load and other external conditions, have been obtained using system identification method. Comparison with earlier control techniques is included. The results show that the proposed EO control strategy results in significant reduction of energy losses compared to the existing ones.